Saddled with a still strugglingeconomy and withChristmas around the corner,consumers are expectedto rely on cable for their entertainmentrather than spendmoney outside the home duringthe holidays, according to TVhistorian Tim Brooks. Indeed, theatrical gross revenue for theweekend of Dec. 2-4 was $80 million, down $6 million fromthe same weekend last year, according to Box Office Mojo.

Despite the release of such touted titles as The Twilight Saga:Breaking DawnPart One and kids-themed The Muppets andHappy Feet Two, box-office revenue was down 52% versus theweek prior, which was the Thanksgiving weekend.

‘GOOD LUCK’S’ GIFT

“In an economy like this, there is a tendency to conserve andto go to things that don’t require extra expenditure, like goingout to the movies,” Brooks said. “It’s Christmas season, peoplewant a lift. Christmas movies [on TV] do that and it’s ‘free.’ ”

Cable’s original movies benefi ted from the sluggish box-office take as Christmas-themed movies drew big audiences.Some 6.8 million viewers tuned in for Disney Channel’s GoodLuck Charlie, Its Christmas! — the biggest audience for a cableoriginal movie this year. The movie, based on the hit seriesGood Luck Charlie, drew 3.3 million kids aged 6-11 to rankas the leading live-action scripted telecast in all TV thus far in2011 with that demo, according to Disney Channel.

Hallmark Channel continued its impressive run of highratedholiday films with the Dec. 5 premiere of A Princess forChristmas. The movie, with Roger Moore as a royal duke whowants to spend Christmas with his estranged grandkids andtheir guardian aunt, drew 3.5 million viewers in its premiere,said network officials. That follows on the heels of its Nov. 27movie, Holiday Engagement, which also garnered 3.5 millionviewers, and the Nov. 20A Christmas Wish, whichgenerated 4 million viewers.

The made-for-cablemovie “is an underservedgenre and people love greatstories,” Hallmark ChannelCEO Bill Abbott said. “Wehave staked out a strongheritage here with [originalmovies], so the rising tide ofmovies will lift all boats, includingours.”

TNT’s return to the original movie arena with the Nov. 29mystery drama Scott Turow’s Innocent pulled in 1.6 millionviewers, and its Nov. 30 telefilm Ricochet drew an audienceof 1.4 million people.

“The first two movies in the ‘TNT Mystery Movie Night’[franchise] have each delivered 4.2 million viewers and morethan 1.3 million adults 25-54 through the premieres, encoresand time-shifted viewing,” Michael Wright, executive vicepresident and head of programming at TNT, TBS andTCM, said. “We’re pleased with the response from viewersand critics, and we look forward to seeing how the restof the movies perform.”